Manar Abu Dhabi 2025 to light up with global art
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The Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has announced the return of Manar Abu Dhabi for its second edition, bringing a new series of light-based artworks inspired by the Gulf’s connection with light.
Running under the theme The Light Compass, Manar Abu Dhabi 2025 will feature 23 light sculptures, projections and immersive installations by 15 artists and collectives from 10 countries. Participants include Emirati sculptor Shaikha Al Mazrou, multidisciplinary studio DRIFT and artist Pamela Poh.
The exhibition, curated by Khai Hori with co-curators Alia Zaal Lootah, Munira Al Sayegh and Mariam Alshehhi, explores light as both a navigational and poetic medium. This year, installations will span three key sites: Jubail Island, Souq Al Mina and, for the first time, Al Ain. Trails through Al Qattara and Al Jimi Oases will connect artworks to Abu Dhabi’s natural and urban settings.
Alongside the exhibition, the event features talks, workshops and various performances. Eight curated talks will examine how art interacts with technology and public space.
The series begins with Public Art & the Al Ain Landscape, a discussion in Arabic with artists Ammar Al Attar, Maitha Hamdan and Khalid Shafar. Another session, Let’s Talk About Manar Abu Dhabi 2025, will bring together the curatorial team to discuss the vision behind the exhibition.
Panel discussions include 'The Future of Art Without AI: Is It Possible?', moderated by Dr Elizabeth Churchill and Art, Tech & Human Connection with Studio Drift’s Ralph Nauta. Other talks are on 'Art at the Intersection of Nature & Technology and Light, Motion & Perception', which focus on how artists engage with natural environments and sensory experience.
In collaboration with Abu Dhabi Art, sessions like 'Reimagining Space Through Sculpture' and 'Designing Public Art for Presence & Space' will address how sculpture and design redefine public interaction within the UAE’s settings.
The exhibition will also feature an international line-up of performances that blend traditional and modern influences. Highlights include Bedouin Burger, a duo merging Arabic folk music with jazz and electronica; Korean group Haepaary, known for reinterpreting Confucian melodies; and jazz pianist Tarek Yamani with Afro-Tarab Jazz Conceptions.
Additional acts include Love and Revenge’s tribute to Oum Kalthoum, Italian ensemble Ars Nova Napoli and weekend shows at Souq Al Mina by Fourmanos, Amjad Shakir and Shilpa Ananth X Beatbox Ray.
A university outreach program will complement the exhibition, featuring lectures by artists such as Lachlan Turczan and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. These sessions aim to engage students in discussions about the intersection of art, technology and artificial intelligence, providing insights into contemporary creative processes.
Through its expanded scope and international collaborations, Manar Abu Dhabi 2025 aims to further establish Abu Dhabi as a platform for light art and cultural dialogue.